The Small Sanctuary With A Big Heart. Animal-Led Since 2021.
Animals Remembered
Here we remember our beloved family who have passed away.
Tonic
Sadly Tonic passed away in 2022. He was always the muckiest of the alpacas, and we loved him for it. He was gentle, and most sensitive. We miss him, and we believe so do Gin and Sammy, which is why we are actively looking for suitable companions. Alpacas are very social animals.
Alpaca Facts
Scientific name: Lama pacos.
Collective noun: Herd.
Alpacas hum when they’re curious, worried, content, bored, fearful, distressed or cautious, and make odd gurgling vocal noises when warning off others.
99% of the world’s alpacas still live in South America.
There are no wild alpacas – the alpaca is the domesticated version of the Vicuña. Vicuñas are descended from camel-like animals that evolved in North America then moved south roughly 3 million years ago.
Matilda
Matilda is Sox’s mum and is 4 years old. She is a doting mother and can often be seen teaching Sox some new life skill. She is pot bellied and black and even though she has a white beard you can tell she is a lady. She is never far away from Sox and enjoys a cauliflower treat. Animals can change when they lose their partner, and this was most keenly observed in her partner, Spud, whose one dominant and bullying character has been replaced by a timidity and calm that was never present before.
Goat Facts
Scientific name: Capra hircus.
Collective noun: Herd.
There are over 300 distinct breeds of goat.
Goats use the sneeze sound as an alarm to warn of danger.
Goats can differentiate between happy and unhappy human faces.
Sydney
Sydney Odette was aged about 5 years old when she, and Irwin came to live in Malmesbury. She was the largest of the three emus. She preferred the company of her life mate Irwin and they were always to be found wandering close together. Animals can change when they lose their partner. Irwin has become much more affectionate towards volunteers – a trait that was always present, but is now more pronounced.
